A painting by 16th-century Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio will soon be exhibited at Madrid's Prado Museum. The 43.7 x 33.8-inch piece, which depicts Jesus Christ wearing a crown of thorns before crucifixion, nearly sold at a Spanish auction house in 2021 for $1,600 because many believed it was the work of Caravaggio's student, José de Ribera.
However, after experts examined the artwork further, and the painting was found to be an original by Caravaggio, who is believed to have created only about 60 paintings in his lifetime, and its value could "stretch into the tens of millions, if not more," reports the Associated Press.
The work, entitled Ecce Homo (1605-09), is believed to have once been in the private collection of King Philip IV of Spain.
Since the 19th century, the painting has been in the possession of a Madrid family, which recently received permission to sell it to an anonymous buyer after restorers completed an inspection.
“This is a huge opportunity, and we are excited about it,” said Prado director Miguel Falomir. “We also celebrate the fact that this great work of art will remain in Spain and become part of Spanish culture.”
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